Bomb note diverts Ryanair flight

13th Apr 2006

An bomb threat on-board a Ryanair flight from Paris to Dublin forced the airplane to divert to Scotland before it got the all-clear and landed in the Irish capital late Wednesday, the Irish budget airline said. Police have confirmed there were no explosive devices on the airplane, which was diverted to Prestwick airport.

The flight flew on to Dublin International Airport and landed just before midnight.

Ryanair spokeswoman Pauline McAlester said all 167 passengers—among them 71 children—arrived in Dublin. She said none of the passengers had been detained in Scotland as a suspect.

The flight was accompanied to Prestwick by three RAF Tornado fighters.

“A note was passed to the cabin crew onboard claiming that there was a bomb onboard the aircraft,” Ryanair said in a statement.

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“The captain immediately reported this to UK air traffic control and was instructed to divert to Glasgow Prestwick Airport. All passengers together with Ryanair are cooperating fully with the police and local safety authorities.”

The company added: “The aircraft will now be subject to a detailed search, following which we expect it will be cleared to travel onwards to Dublin.”

The flight had originated from Beauvais Tille airport, north of Paris, which caters to low-fare airlines. ——-